Leading on Empty by Wayne Cordeiro
Week 8: Chapter 8 — Restoring Relationships
Read Chapter 8 of Leading on Empty. Key Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Hebrews 10:24-25
Previewing Week 8 of Leading on Empty
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 11-week guide when you’re ready.
Burnout is almost always a relational crisis as much as a personal one — it isolates us from the very people who could help restore us. This chapter calls us back to community and accountability.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Cordeiro describes how burnout tends to push leaders into isolation — they withdraw from honest friendship precisely when they need it most. Have you experienced that pattern? What drove the withdrawal?
2.The author speaks candidly about the impact his burnout had on his marriage and family. How does the myth that "sacrificing for ministry is sacrificing for God" damage the relationships closest to us? Is that a myth you have believed or perpetuated?
3.Cordeiro emphasizes the need for what he calls "peer friendships" — relationships with people who know you fully, not as a pastor or leader, but as a person. Do you have those friendships? What makes them so difficult for leaders to cultivate and maintain?